halwass said
Good clear exposition of Qt as used with Python. Qt, a GUI toolkit, seems fairly easy to use (particularly with Python), but is quite large (as needed to provide various convenient features for a broad variety of GUI widgets): hence it's good that this book goes through the numerous features clearly and in detail.
As a bonus, the author assumes no prior knowledge of Python, and spends the first hundred pages on a swift Python tutorial. Of course one can't learn all of Python in a hundred pages, but the author covers the features needed to follow the rest of this book. Moreover, I think it's actually a good introduction to Python, which you will appreciate if either (a) you've used Python but are rusty and need some quick reminders, or (b) you've never used Python (but know another object-oriented language), in which case this should get you nicely started on Python.
Also I should mention that, when I had problems getting Qt and PyQt to install, the author wrote back instantly with useful information. Oh, yeah, I should warn you that, if you're installing on Mac, do not use Python 2.6 or later; PyQt currently has trouble with it. The combination I finally got to work was: Python 2.5.4; Qt 4.4.3; SIP 4.7.9; PyQt 4.4.4. (Of course this information will change over time. Refer to the author's website for updates.)
Brian H. Wilson said
I needed a book to help me through connecting Python and QT together so that I could write GUI programs in Python. This book definitely did that for me so I am satisfied.
This book is written as a classroom textbook, not as a reference. Part I is on Python programming (the first 100 of 500+ pages). I did not need that but in the context of a textbook it's good to have everything between two covers.
I like the fact that it covers a broad range of material beyond GUI programming including database access and model/view programming. I think I will be digging into it for quite some time.
Robert L. Marshall said
I started cross-platform GUI development back in 1992 when a client asked us to migrate an IBM Mainframe application using 3270 access (available on our WinXX, OS/2, Mac, SunOs, and Solaris clients [plus an unofficial Next]) to a Solaris DB/Document Management Server maintaining the same end user computer types. We did it using a Proprietary C package (the developer of which has since imploded). Nowadays, to do the same thing we might keep our data on a web server and let the browser sort it out. Or we might use a cross-platform toolkit.
Eight years ago I discovered a great product with a dual mode license called Qt: If you want to do open source programming then download the code and you are good to go; if you want to retain the rights to your latest product coded in Qt, then buy and download a developer version for each unique platform type you support. Qt, the product I've been describing, is a great product in it's own right, and the author of the book I'm supposed to be reviewing is also the author of books about the Qt system itself: C++ GUI Programming with Qt4;C++ GUI Programming with Qt4, 2nd ed.;C++ GUI Programming with Qt4, 2nd ed. (Kindle).
When I learned that Riverside Computing of the UK had produced PyQt as well as other products that would allow the Qt packages to be programmed with Python instead of/in addition to C++, I was ecstatic. Searches of the Internet showed much in the way of Qt/C++ documentation. Searches of Amazon.com showed only "Rapid Gui Programming with Python and Qt". So this is THE book for learning to integrate one of the great improvements in software development: interpretive, byte-code rapid application development in Python with the power and capability of the Qt cross-platform development tool.
This book is just fantastic!
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Elias Jonsson said
Good written book. covers all you need to know about python as programming language and QT to make you produce python GUI applications.
To read this book you don't already have to know any programming language, the book will teach you; but it would make the whole thing a little easier if you already knew some other (or python) programming language.
Aaron Digulla said
The book contains one of the best Python introductions I've seen so far, which means it's useful even when you don't know Python, yet. After the introduction, you'll love it :)
After that come 19 chapters which are packed with useful information in well digestible bits so the reader won't feel overwhelmed. When you're a professional, you won't waste time finding the information you need and when you're a beginner, you can easily follow every step as the author builds the examples from ground up.
When I started with PyQt, I was a seasoned Python developer but I knew little about Qt. With the help of the book, I could write a complex application using even more complex widgets like QTextEditor (including HTML formatting) in a very short time. Developing was a very nice experience because the book always seemed to contain just the answer that I was looking for.
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